Maximizing the Effectiveness of Human Resources in the Context of Project Scheduling by an Evolutionary Algorithm

In this paper, we address the project scheduling problem to assist project managers at the early stage of scheduling. Thus, as part of the problem, we consider a priority optimization objective for managers at that stage. This objective involves assigning the most effective set of human resources to each project activity. We consider that the effectiveness of a human resource depend on its work context. To solve the problem, we propose an evolutionary algorithm. This algorithm designs feasible schedules for a given project, and evaluates these schedules in relation to the optimization objective. This evaluation is developed based on knowledge about the effectiveness of human resources. To evaluate the algorithm, we present the computational experiments carried out on six different problem sets. In this respect, the algorithm has reached an optimal effectiveness level on the first three sets and a high effectiveness level on the remaining three sets.